On Friday evening, the whole country woke up to heartbreaking news of the Air India Express aircraft crash in Kozhikode in Kerala. 18 people, including both pilots, died as the aircraft crashed while trying to land at the Calicut International airport. The flight was operating under the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indians stranded abroad because of the coronavirus lockdown.
The family of 32-year-old Akhilesh Sharma, co-pilot of the flight, is still in shock as they encountered the deadly news of their dear one. It is heartbreaking to know that Sharma’s wife Megha (29), who is expecting a child within 2 weeks, has not yet been informed about her husband’s death. The devastated family is trying to come to terms with their loss.
The family lives in Govind Nagar locality of Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura. Recently Akhilesh’s brother, Lokesh Sharma, spoke to HT to share the pain and trauma his family is going through:
“Initially we got the news that bhaiyya (Akhilesh) was critical and hospitalized after the plane crash but we were later informed about his death on Friday night. My brother Bhuvnesh and brother-in-law Sanjeev Sharma have left for Kozhikode via Delhi,”
Lokesh Sharma (24) who also wants to become a commercial pilot, further added:
“We have not told bhabhi (Megha Sharma) about the death of her husband as she is expecting a child in a few days from now. She is aware of the plane crash though,”
Akhilesh’s father Tulsi Ram Sharma owns a business in Mathura. He was three siblings – an elder brother Bhuvnesh Sharma (28), younger brother Lokesh Sharma (24), and an elder sister who is married. Sharing further details, Lokesh added:
“Akhilesh studied in Amarnath College in Mathura and joined CAE Oxford Aviation Academy in Gondia (Maharashtra) to train as a pilot. He joined Air India in 2017. He was married to Megha in 2018 and the couple was about to have a child but destiny snatched him from us.”
This air crash is a heartbreaking tragedy as it snatched away the dear ones from their families. While we mourn the death of these passengers, we pray for strength for Megha and her unborn child, who is yet to face the most painful reality of their lives.
